verrucosus Not eating help please

[jonodrama]

Hello there. I've had my male verrucosus for 2 weeks and he has hardly eaten in that time.
The temps in the viv are fine, basking spot at 33 degrees
plenty of branches& plants

He seems to be a darkish brown most of the time but changes as soon as i handle him to a bright green and moves about on me without fuss.

He has large locust available all the time but has eaten them

Please help

I've though about covering the front of viv so he is more enclosed

 

[nosymitsio]

Hello there. I've had my male verrucosus for 2 weeks and he has hardly eaten in that time.
The temps in the viv are fine, basking spot at 33 degrees
plenty of branches& plants

He seems to be a darkish brown most of the time but changes as soon as i handle him to a bright green and moves about on me without fuss.

He has large locust available all the time but has eaten them

Please help

I've though about covering the front of viv so he is more enclosed

Im might be wrong but sounds as tho your temps need ajusting are the branches blocking the light cos if hes dark all the time means hes trying to absorb heat?

 

[jonodrama]

Im might be wrong but sounds as tho your temps need ajusting are the branches blocking the light cos if hes dark all the time means hes trying to absorb heat?

There are no branches in the way of the bulb, so should i try increasing the heat both basking and general viv temps??

Is the colour change to green when he is out of viv a good sign???

I just want him to eat

 

[nosymitsio]

im no expert mate but if hes dark even when hes not basking either means he is due a shed or cant get enough heat if you fill in a help form in the health clinic https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ thats the link and post something in there then more experianced keepers will help you out!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Have you tried offering hornworms or silkworms? I'd try horns first most chams love any feeder insect that is green in color. It attracts their attention for some reason. If that doesnt work then I'd try covering the cage and feeding him. I'm guessing he's wc? If so he may feel threatened and need the extra security of the cover.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

im no expert mate but if hes dark even when hes not basking either means he is due a shed or cant get enough heat if you fill in a help form in the health clinic https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ thats the link and post something in there then more experianced keepers will help you out!

Yes that is partailly right bro. But it could also mean he's stressed by any number of other factors. ie ( in sight of another cham, heavy traffic area and he doesnt like it, dogs or cats in sight of his cage, etc...) Just because he's dark doesnt mean he's cold and looking for more heat. I think his temps are correct. But Im no expert on celsius conversions.

 

[nosymitsio]

Yes that is partailly right bro. But it could also mean he's stressed by any number of other factors. ie ( in sight of another cham, heavy traffic area and he doesnt like it, dogs or cats in sight of his cage, etc...) Just because he's dark doesnt mean he's cold and looking for more heat. I think his temps are correct. But Im no expert on celsius conversions.

I know 35deg is 90f or there abouts but if he fill the help sheet im sure we will be able to tell more can ask whats WC?

 

[morpheon]

WC means Wild Caught, opposite of CB which is Captive Bred.

Jono, i'd higher your temps by 2 degrees if i were you. A 35 degrees basking spot is idea in my opinion, even though 33 is not bad at all. It'd try it temporary, to see if it will make him more hungry (higher temps faster digestion, which may help him to get him hungry).

It's also normal that he's brown or black/white while basking. There's no problem in that.

When he becomes green and become very active on you, it's because he's stressed out. Verrucosus, and even more WC verrucosus (which is what, 95 to 99% of the verrucosus on Earth probably) are very shy and don't accept manipulation very well.

They also don't like to be looked at. Therefore, you (or any other chameleon/animal/baby/kid/etc) should NOT be closer to your chameleon than 3 meters away, if you want my opinion. The only time to be closer is if when you are putting food into his enclosure, or misting (and of course cleaning the enclosure and other chores). My point is to NOT stay close to his enclosure. He won't move, but he will be stressed at your sight, unless you are far away and that he feels he is hidden.

My last sentence suggests that adding more green where he usually stays is a good idea. At home, my verrucosus both have two hidden spot. The first is where they sleep and relax, the other is where they bask. The rest of the enclosure is more sparse, just like their natural habitat is. You can see my signature on the bottom of this post and see how they are. It might help you.

Finally, offering him lots of food is a very good idea. My verrucosus loves worms, either hornworms, silkworms, and superworms. If you have dubias, he might like them too.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Wc stands for wild caught. So if he is wc he's going to be more scared around people at least for the first month or two until he acclimates. He also
should be checked for parasites if he's wc.

 

[morpheon]

Just wondering... Is it also possible that the locusts be too big for him??


If you could upload pictures of your chameleon and its enclosure it would help.

 

[jonodrama]

Thanks for all the replies

I've up the temps and have just found fresh (ish) droppings!!!!!

i'm using the same size locust that the seller fed him.

 

[morpheon]

Sellers often do bad things, so that's not necessary a good thing seriously. The proof is your chameleon isn't eating much, and that's not something good you know!

Have you offered him other food like suggested?